Given below is a short account of how the festival of
Purim came into practice. Read, enjoy, and
forward
this history of Purim !
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| The events commemorated by Purim took place in the
ancient Persian Empire, in the fifth century BCE, under the reign of
King Achashverosh. Mordechai, a Jew, refused to bow down and prostrate
himself before Haman, the vizier to the King. Haman immediately set out
"to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of
Achashverosh" (Esther 3,6). In order to effect his vicious racist plan,
Haman decided to enlist the aid of the unsuspecting King Achashverosh. Since Haman was a very superstitious person, he had lots cast to determine on which day he should carry out his design. The word for lots is "Purim", and from it we get the name for the holiday. The chosen date was the thirteenth of Adar. The king, who trusted Haman, agreed to his plan to murder the Jews. For Haman had told him that the Jews were "scattered abroad in all the provinces," and that "their laws are different from those of every people" (Esther 3,8). Letters, written by Haman and signed by the king, were sent out throughout all the provinces, commanding all persons "to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish all the Jews" (Esther 3,13). The Jews would have been massacred, had it not been for Esther, Mordechai's cousin, who had been chosen queen a few years earlier. Queen Esther was able to intercede and save the Jewish community from genocide. Haman was hanged on the gallows which he himself had prepared for Mordechai. The Jews of Persia were spared and judgments were executed on their enemies.
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Some of the nicest traditions of Purim are matanot laevyonim, the giving of gifts to the poor, and mishloach manot, the giving of gifts of food to friends and family.. Purim is known as a time of delicious smells emanating from the kitchen from the baking of the delicious sweets and goodies. Hamantaschen, a Purim cookie named for the three-cornered hat that Haman wore, is one of the favorites. Click here for a hamantaschen recipe for Purim! |
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